News

The latest news from the Torbay Express

The Perfect Gift for the train lover in your life

Purchase a gift voucher - the ideal present!

We all know someone who is difficult to buy for - how about purchasing a gift voucher for a trip on the Torbay Express next summer? Vouchers are available from £5 and a personalised Gift Certificate can be prepared for an additional £1.50 . Make someone's day that bit more special. To purchase one please call the Booking Office (01453 835414 / 834477) Monday to Friday 09:15 to 16:45.

We are delighted to announce that the charity raffles aboard this year's Torbay Express trains raised the amazing sum of £2,641.33 for our charity of the year Above and Beyond We are very grateful to everyone who has been involved in the raffles, our fabulous volunteer Stewards who sold the raffle tickets and also all our lovely passengers who bought them.

Above and beyond raises funds to help Bristol city centre hospitals provide more than the NHS can. This includes creating welcoming environments, funding innovative research, supporting staff training and development, and providing state of the art equipment.

On Wednesday 4th October 2017 three of our wonderful Stewards, John, Lesley and Keith, visited the Above and Beyond charity offices to present a cheque for the donation raised through the on-board raffles on this seasons Torbay Express. They were warmly welcomed by Catherine, the fundraising co-ordinator, and were given a brief tour of the three hospitals supported to directly see where the donation will be of benefit. They found the tour very interesting and informative and Above and Beyond were delighted with the amount raised and thanked everyone involved.

It was a scorching hot day for the first Torbay Express steam train of summer 2017; so hot and dry in fact that Network Rail imposed a steam ban and we had to run with diesel assistance. As you can see by the photo above, courtesy of Robert Sherwood, Tornado No 60163 looked magnificent, as usual.

The next Torbay Express is on 2 July, when Tornado will again be hauling the train (subject to the usual provisos).

We have been advised by the Dartmouth Steam Railway and River Boat Company that the winter refit of paddle steamer 'Kingswear Castle' has been extended and as a result services will not start until week commencing 19 June. Torbay Express passengers who had booked for 18 June have been contacted by the company.

It is now less than four weeks until the first Torbay Express of this summer on Sunday 18 June - getting very close now!

We are delighted that Clan Line No. 35028 had a test run on Thursday 18 May. She hauled one carriage and a 'dead' class 66 locomotive from Crewe to Chester and back, twice. The speed was gradually increased to around 65 mph and the test was a complete success. The next step will be visiting the paint shop, then a loaded test run with a full length train.